To Friendship
by labyrinths
Summary: An ocean of unsaid words stood between them and it grew deeper by the hour. JE One shot.


**To Friendship **

She was not drinking rum.

Therefore she was not getting drunk.

She was drinking water with rum and somehow that made all the difference. A sailors drink Water with a tad of rum and some lemon juice.

Only there was no lemon and there was more rum than water.

She was also definitely _not_ flirting with a notorious pirate. She was playing cards.

Only there was more playful banter than card dealing.

"Ha! You sir, are defeated," she said, squashing Jack with her straight flush.

"Very well," he said with a smile. "I'll pay up."

Jack tugged at the deep collar of his shirt, showing a fleeting scar normally hidden beneath cloth and leather.

"This I got when rescuing a captive Indian priestess from the hands of fearsome Blackbeard himself."

"Wait!" Elizabeth said lurching forward and pressing her finger against the dark spot that marred his chest. "Really?"

"No," he said, giving her a grin. "A jealous husband. Really Lizzie, you are willing to believe anything I say, hu?"

Realizing her index finger was still in contact with Jack's skin, Elizabeth recoiled her hand and flushed. She hoped he didn't notice. He teased her endlessly with the nicknames and the piquant little comments.

"How about now we bet one of those delightful pirate ballads of yours against the real story of the way I sacked Nassau?"

"I'm all out of pirate ballads Jack. I think you've heard them all."

"Then sing me a love song. Whatever."

If he hadn't noticed her slight blush before there was no way he could have missed the red glow that now covered her cheeks. Elizabeth's stomach felt uncomfortably warm and she wasn't sure it was the rum's fault.

"No more songs," she said shaking her head and letting her back rest against the creaky boards of The Pearl. "We'll just look at constellations."

The way she said it came out sounding more like 'constipation' but Jack must have gotten the meaning of her words because he propped himself on one shoulder and glanced in the same direction she was staring.

Above her there was a net of stars, as bright as diamonds, and a sliver of a moon. Elizabeth laced her fingers behind her head and looked up at the dark.

"Jack …now … does it mean we are officially friends?" she asked.

Immediately Elizabeth bit her lip, that unconscious gesture she tended to repeat when irritated. This surely meant she was drunk, such a silly, childish question to ask a grown man, a pirate.

"Thick as thieves, love," he replied, handing her the bottle of rum he'd been cradling in his arms.

"I told you I'm not drinking any rum tonight," she said, shoving the bottle back.

"Here. Drink freely. I'm not going to inform dear William how unladylike his beloved really is. Behaving like a common scallywag, playing cards and swapping stories with a most dissolute pirate."

She gave him a little punch in the arm, but all Jack did was chuckle and dangle the bottle in front of her eyes.

"Really darling," he said, trying to sound as serious as Jack could sound. "I promise I won't tell a soul gentle Lady Swann has a taste for vile liquors."

She grabbed the bottle and took a good swig, mostly to prove to him she didn't care what anyone thought and also because she hated the way 'Lady Swann' sounded when he said it.

"This will be our secret," he muttered, plucking the bottle from her hands.

When his fingers brushed hers, lingering longer than they should have she looked up at him and he stared back into her eyes.

"A toast to us," he said throwing his head back.

"To friendship," she said

He tossed the bottle to her and Elizabeth took a big gulp.

Afterwards, they just sat there, looking at the stars.

The songs and stories had ended for that night. There was only silence.

An ocean of unsaid words stood between them and it grew deeper by the hour.

Even if neither one would admit it they both understood that one day the dam that held their thoughts would be broken and all those words would come pouring out, drowning them.

But for now they both sat next to each and pretended the silence held nothing at all.

_Authors Note: Sorry. I just couldn't contain myself and had to write this little one shot after watching DMC again yesterday. Cheers. _


End file.
